We are delighted to announce the names of this year’s recipients of our Camerata 360° Ruth Sutton Fellowship. Created with the generous support of The Ruth Sutton Trust for Music and the Haworth Trust, these five northern-based fellows will each receive a paid, year-long bespoke training programme, during which they will gain vital experience in all aspects of a musical career, our work, and the impact it makes.
Emily Ampt – Violin
Emily Ampt is an Australian violinist based in Manchester, UK. A seasoned and passionate chamber, orchestral and solo musician, Emily performs frequently as a freelancer with ensembles such as BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and Manchester Camerata. She is a recent graduate of a Master of Music with Distinction at the RNCM, learning with Pavel Fischer. In Australia, she achieved her Bachelor and Postgraduate Certificate in Music Studies at Queensland Conservatorium, studying with Michele Walsh and Natsuko Yoshimoto.
Emily Douglas – Horn
Emily Douglas is a French Horn player based in Manchester, originally from Middlesbrough, they went on to study at Chetham’s School of Music, in which they achieved both LRSM and DipABRSM diplomas by the age of 17. On leaving school, Emily graduated from the RNCM with first-class degrees at both Bachelor and Masters levels and now freelances regularly with orchestras across the North of England and the Midlands. During the 24/25 season, Emily completed a fellowship with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
Sam Kane – Violin
Sam Kane is a Northern Irish violinist and composer from County Armagh, based in Manchester. Having grown up on a farm, much of his music is inspired by the landscapes of home, as well as
Irish traditional music and folklore. Sam graduated with distinction from the RNCM in 2024, where he studied violin with Jim Clark and Cecily Ward. As a violinist, Sam has performed as a soloist with the Ulster Orchestra and at festivals across the UK and Ireland. He has freelanced with ensembles including the Ulster Orchestra, Northern Ireland Opera, the Hallé and Camerata Ireland. During his time at the RNCM, he received the Irish Heritage Homan Potterton Bursary for Strings, the RNCM Norman George Violin Prize and was a finalist in both the RNCM Concerto and Gold Medal Competitions. More recently, Sam was awarded the BBC Northern Ireland Young Musicians’ Platform Award.
Joana Moura – Double Bass
Joana is a Brazilian double bassist currently based in Manchester, where she finished her Bachelor or Music and a Master of Music degree. She discovered the double bass at the Instituto Baccarelli in Heliópolis and has since performed with orchestras such as The Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. She has also taken part in the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s Career Accelerator Fellowship and the Philharmonia’s Instrumental Fellowship, experiences which have given her the opportunity to work within a wide range of orchestral environments and alongside great musicians.
Rachael Watson – Flute
Originally from Aberdeen, Rachael started learning the flute and piano at a young age and received scholarship lessons at the North East of Scotland Music School before attending the Aberdeen City Music School. She went on to complete her undergraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music with Laura Jellicoe and Janet Richardson as tutors, graduating with a First Class Honours Degree. She later trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she attained a distinction in her Masters of Orchestral Artistry, studying with Sarah Newbold, Ian Clarke, Philippa Davies, Gareth Davies and Christopher Green.
